USWNT Takeaways: Macario Shines, LaBonta Debuts in Friendly Win vs. China | OneFootball

It was one-way traffic at Allianz Field in St. Paul, as the U.S. women's national team defeated China 3–0 on Saturday.

Catarina Macario opened the scoring in the 28th minute, then picked up the assist for Sam Coffey's goal that made it 2–0 in the 35th. In the second half, Lindsey Heaps added a third with a header from a Michelle Cooper cross. It was team captain Heaps's 38th goal for the national team.

The USWNT dominated all aspects of the game, having 71% of possession, while out-shooting China 18–4 (7–2 on target). If anything, the final scoreline flattered China.

It was also a return to winning ways for the USWNT, who had been defeated 2–1 by Brazil in San Jose, in its previous match. The USWNT is now 17-2-2 under head coach Emma Hayes.

Here are the key takeaways from the game:

China's high line exposed

In a tactical surprise, China pressed the USWNT higher than presumed. Many experts, and even Hayes herself, had expected a more cautious low-block from China.

On the one hand, the visitors' more aggressive approach left the USWNT with little time to keep possession of the ball. On the other hand, there was ample room behind China's defense to be exploited.

In the first half, wingers Alyssa Thompson and Cooper had a field day attacking quickly, using their speed and dribbling into the box to make things happen.

Thompson had the most key passes of any player (three), while also registering an assist for Macario's opening goal that she was unlucky not to score herself. Cooper blazed past the high line to make a wide run and get the cross in for the U.S.'s third goal.

Midfielders Coffey and Lily Yohannes consistently had their eyes downfield to see the oncoming runners and play quick vertical passes. The USWNT was called offside seven times, which showed that China did sometimes make it difficult to get the timing right.

Macario at her best

The Chelsea forward has had a long road back to being a key figure for the USWNT after an ACL injury in 2022 kept her sidelined for the 2023 World Cup, and then knee irritation prevented her from going to the 2024 Olympics.

On Saturday, Macario turned in one of her best performances in a U.S. jersey for some time, picking up a goal and an assist. The goal might have been one of the easiest she's scored in her career, but she still put herself in the right place at the right time.

More exceptional than the opening goal was the way she deftly collected Thompson's cross and then laid the ball off to Coffey in the first half. Few players have that sort of magic in their cleats to kill the ball dead and then have the next move already picked out—all in mid-air, too.

Calm, calculated and one step ahead, the 25-year-old did all the simple things right as she continues to command a bigger role on the USWNT. She almost had another goal right before halftime when she lashed the ball inches over the bar from the edge of the box.

Macario now has at least one goal or assist in eight out of her past nine starts for the USWNT.

Coffey thrives in the spotlight

Coffey scored her second goal for the USWNT in her 34th appearance. Curiously, both goals have come in friendlies against China. The first goal came in a 2–1 win in Dec. 2023, in Frisco, Texas.

Coffey struck the ball about as sweetly as possible to make it 2–0 in the first half. She bent the ball past goalkeeper Pan Hongyan with technical precision.

Having waited 18 months to find the back of the net for her country, Coffey celebrated with a euphoric shrugging gesture, with both palms out and a grin on her face as if to say, "Why not me?" When interviewed at halftime, she told the broadcast that it was always nice for "defensive players to get their moment."

Coffey played a key role in igniting the attack from the midfield for Macario's opening goal, and had many teasing passes into the frontline throughout. One of the players of the match, she didn't shy away from her defensive duties either, winning seven of nine duels with three tackles.

Lo'eau LaBonta's makes history

In the 70th minute, one of the most eagerly anticipated USWNT debuts of the last decade occurred when LaBonta came off the bench for Yohannes. The substitution became historic because LaBonta, at 32, became the oldest player to ever debut for the USWNT.

It was a nice touch by Hayes to sub off the youngest player on the pitch, the 17-year-old Yohannes, in the same action. 2025 has been a year defined by experimentation and intergenerational development for the USWNT. Nothing sums that up better than the personnel change in the second half.

The Kansas City Current midfielder finished the game with 100% pass completion, having connected on all 11 passes she attempted.